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No dependence on discrete GPU or GPU switching
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:24 pm
by witchbutter
I'm really kind of baffled that after purchasing a Macbook Pro 2016 that Ableton has made my MBP less energy efficient. I can't see any reason why the discrete GPU is needed to render anything I need to arrange a track. I have no idea if OpenCL does anything for Ableton. What I do know is that enabling the GPU makes what could be a 6 hour battery life 2 hours, and I for one like to take my laptop to remote places to work on compositions. It would be awesome if either an inefficiency was removed if it is actually pointless, or if not having some mode or mechanism that disables the use of the discrete GPU for that session.
Re: No dependence on discrete GPU or GPU switching
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:53 am
by scheffkoch
...you could use gfxcardstatus to force your laptop to only use the igpu...that solved a lot of my 2011 mbp problems regarding cpu spiking...with my 2016 mbp i don't have that spiking problems anymore so i can't report how the app works with the new machines...
Re: No dependence on discrete GPU or GPU switching
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:28 pm
by witchbutter
scheffkoch wrote:...you could use gfxcardstatus to force your laptop to only use the igpu
I tried using that a few minor osx versions ago and it just led to many headaches. Also it does not work if you have external displays plugged in. Truly this would be better to be a part of Ableton's code.
https://gfx.io/switching.html
"ii. integrated only mode limitations.
gfxCardStatus v2.3 and above actively prevents you from switching to Integrated Only mode when any apps are in the Dependencies list (or if you have an external display plugged in). This is because if you were to do this, your discrete GPU would actually stay powered on, even though you've switched to the integrated GPU."
Re: No dependence on discrete GPU or GPU switching
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 11:11 pm
by Stromkraft
witchbutter wrote:scheffkoch wrote:...you could use gfxcardstatus to force your laptop to only use the igpu
I tried using that a few minor osx versions ago and it just led to many headaches. Also it does not work if you have external displays plugged in. Truly this would be better to be a part of Ableton's code.
What headaches?
If it doesn't work with "external displays plugged in" then maybe that's because that's what you need in order to have external displays? If so, I don't see how it would be any better within Live? And are you really bringing extra displays when you go out "to remote places"?